Roman Misadventures: Rome
by QueenAurora
Summary: WARNING! WILL CONTAIN VIOLENCE AND TORTURE! DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THIS! When a trip to Rome goes horribly wrong, Wrenlou has to scramble to save Hiccup's life in time.


**_WARNING: This story contains blood, torture and graphic violence! It is not for the faint of heart or easily scared. I do not wish to be responsible for nightmares about evil Roman soldiers! Seriously though, I don't want anyone to have nightmares. If the Romans have historically done it, chances are it is in this story! _**

_Alright, before you start, you have to know that Waffle Maker Studios, previously known as TheWaffleMaker, created another version of this story called When in Rome. You may have found it, you may not have, but if you have remember this: When in Rome is an amazing story, but it's not the "original" story. She simply used a story line I started in ROTDR and gave her spin to it. With my permission of course. You should read it anyway, it's great, as long as you remember that it's not my account of Hiccup and Wrenlou's adventures in Rome._

_This story is the first of a small, recurring mini-series called Roman Misadventures. Yes, they have met the Romans before, but that was just a small arc to introduce them to the Romans. There will be three stories in the Roman Misadventures, so enjoy this first one! _

_**WARNING! This story contains blood and violence and can get rather graphic! Not for the faint of heart! (Though this chapter is safe... no blood yet.)**_

_Enjoy!_

_(P.S. Romans are evil. Very evil. This story contains one of my worst antagonists so far...)_

**The Adventurous Adventures of Hiccup and Wrenlou**

**Roman Misadventures: Rome, Part I**

Two young men were moving through the streets, making their way through the mass of people. They looked like they were in their early twenties, tall, but not extremely muscular. They earned looks from who ever they passed because they looked different than the people in Rome were used to. They weren't wearing the normal Roman attire, but they were wearing some sort of leather suit. They weaved through the crowd, pushing people and cattle aside.

"Scuse me, sorry, pardon me miss, pardon. Hiccup! Look out!"

One of the men pulled the other aside as a cart rattled over the stones, splitting the mass of bodies in two. The two men pressed against a wall and watched it pass.

"That was close," Hiccup breathed.

Wrenlou chuckled. "Rome is busy and full, brother. Dragoncity is empty compared to the number of people that live here. They number in the thousands. I'm glad I left my bow with Snowflake. Can you imagine walking through this crowd with a bow on your back?"

Hiccup turned to face his brother, his eyes glistening. "I love it. It's so different from Dragoncity. And the complete opposite of Berk."

"I think Berk could fit on the Forum Romanum. If it was ever empty that is." Wrenlou chuckled, waving at a few women walking by. "Come on, let's go."

The boys plunged into the busy street once again, making their way towards the marketplace. Hiccup grabbed Wrenlou's arm, holding on to his wrist to avoid losing him in the crowd. As soon as they stepped onto the Forum, his jaw dropped. Not only was the enormous space filled with all kinds of stalls, there were also different kinds of buildings, from triumphal arches, to Basilica and small temples. And the place was filled with people of all social classes. He saw beggars and noblemen, soldiers and slaves.

Wrenlou pulled him along and he simply let himself be dragged forwards by the man. They stopped in the shade of a palm tree, and Wrenlou looked at him.

"What do you want to do?"

Hiccup shook his head, then made a rough gesture to the scene in front of them. "Let's just walk around."

Wrenlou smiled and nodded. Then they entered the mass of people that swept along the market, allowing the flow to guide them.

They spend hours and hours walking over the market, trying different kinds of exotic foods and beverages. They went into the Basilica and temples, feasting their eyes on the splendor of the architecture, before they finally sat down in front of a tavern, completely exhausted. Hiccup winced as he pulled off his prosthetic, rubbing his stump. It had been a year since he lost his leg, but it would start to hurt when he walked a lot.

"You should consider yourself lucky you know. I think my blisters have blisters."

Hiccup gave his brother a faint smile. Somehow Wrenlou always found an advantage in the prosthetic, claiming earlier that he had less chance of spraining an ankle. His silly remarks and stupid jokes had made dealing with the loss a lot easier. A waitress approached them, and they looked up. They ordered something to eat, a lot to drink and were soon settled down with a cup and a plate, watching the crowd move by.

"So, what do you want to do? Still want to go to the library?"

Hiccup nodded, chewing on a piece of chicken. "If we can find it in these mass of people and buildings."

Wrenlou laughed, his signature smile on his face. "I'm sure we can manage."

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

Both men looked up, surprised to see a third standing at their table. Without invitation, the man sat down next to Wrenlou, who moved away from him towards the other end of the bench. The man was clad in metal and leather, a long cape hanging from his shoulders. He had a short sword sheathed on his left hip and a small dagger strapped to his chest. His hair was brown and matched his eyes. His face looked worn, like he had seen many battles. Hiccup frowned.

"And who might you be?"

"My name is Marcus. If you want to go to the library, I could bring you there."

"Why would you want to do that?"

The man must have heard the suspicion in Hiccup's voice, because he laughed wholeheartedly. "Don't worry boys, I'm not trying to trick you. It's my job to protect and serve, and I have no protecting to do, so I will serve you today if you want. Now, I have told you my name, it wouldn't be decent to not tell me yours."

Hiccup glanced at Wrenlou, then back to the man. "My name is Hiccup Haddock."

"Wrenlou Dreycon."

The man nodded. "Hiccup and Wrenlou. You are not from around, are you?"

Hiccup shook his head, his suspicion fading. The man seemed kind enough, but he wasn't sure if he could trust him.

"It's really not that far away. Come on, let me be your guide. I'll take you the scenic route if you like."

Wrenlou nodded and moved to pay the waitress, but Marcus stopped him. "It's on me boys."

He left a moment and Hiccup used the time to strap his prosthetic back on, making sure there was nothing bunched up between his leg and the metal that would aggravate his stump. When Marcus came back, he gave Hiccup a surprised look, his eyes gliding over the prosthetic.

"Alright boys, this way."

They followed the man through the bustling streets, listening to his stories about Rome, it's people, the Roman Empire and his service in the Roman Army. They stopped in front of a large oval building, it's walls reaching higher than anything they had seen before. Statues of different emperors and deities were placed along the walls

"That is the Amphitheatrum Flavium, also known as the Colosseum. It's the largest of it's kind in the entire Roman Empire. It serves as entertainment. We have games of different varieties. You should see it. Hey, there are games tomorrow, how about I take you to see it?"

Both Hiccup and Wrenlou were dumbstruck. They had been in Rome less than a day, and already they were invited to go see the games with a centurion. They had heard a lot about the centurions of Rome, and when they had learned Marcus was one of them, their jaw had been on the ground. He laughed at their faces and continued walking.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. It's just something you should see."

"But, why would you want to take us?" Hiccup asked, quickening his pace to catch up with the man.

"Why not? Tomorrow is my day off and I was planning on going anyway," he glanced at Hiccup and his metal leg, "I have to ask, how did that happen?"

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Lost it in battle."

"Battle? You two seem a little young to have been in battle. But I could be mistaken."

Hiccup didn't answer. The battle with the Titan Wing that cost him his leg was still a little too fresh in his mind. He didn't want to talk about it. And it would be very hard to explain to Marcus anyway. Fighting off one dragon with another? He wasn't sure if the man would understand. Marcus seemed to sense his uneasy feeling and dropped the subject.

"Well, here we are."

They stopped in front of a large building, resembling an ancient greek temple. Wrenlou turned to the man.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome. I would like to invite you two for dinner in my house tonight. You can sleep there in the guest quarters as well. We can go to the games tomorrow if you like."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "You would invite us in your house? You don't even know us."

"That is true, but I would like to get to know you better. Do you accept my offer?"

Hiccup looked at Wrenlou, who shrugged. It was his way of saying that it was fine. Hiccup turned to Marcus.

"How do we find it?"

"Do you know the thermae? We passed them earlier."

Hiccup shook his head, but Wrenlou nodded. "I think I can find them."

"Good. If you stand in front of it, go left and walk to the end of the road. It's the house on the hill. I will see you two tonight then! Have fun in the library."

Before they could answer, the man was gone. Hiccup stared after him for a while, then turned around.

"Did that just happen? I mean, I thought that centurions were mean and harsh. And we just met him a few hours ago."

"I know. We'll see. I guess he's just as curious about as as we are about them. Now come on, we don't have all day and we can't spend our entire stay in the library."

Hiccup nodded and they walked up the steps towards the big bronze doors. Inside they were greeted by an old librarian, who happily allowed them to explore the library on their library was enormous, and the day passed quickly as they searched shelves, looking through all sorts of books.

"Hey Hiccup, look at this."

Hiccup turned around, putting the book he was holding on the shelf. Wrenlou was holding book that looked very old. It was covered in a layer of dust.

"What is it?"

"I believe that this..." Wrenlou blew the dust from the cover, coughing when it got into his lungs, "is a book about Night Furies."

Immediately, Hiccup's interest was tickled. He sat down next to Wrenlou, who put the book on the table and opened it. He had been right. The more they flipped through the old pages, the more they learned. Most of the information in the book they already knew, a large portion of it was just plain wrong.

They spend almost two hours with the Night Fury book, then Wrenlou looked up.

"I think we should go. I think it's getting dark."

Hiccup looked up at the window. Wrenlou was right. The sky was already colored with the light of the setting sun. They quickly put the books back on the shelves, then left the library. They had no problem finding the thermae, and then it was easy to find the house. Now they were standing in front of the door, hesitating, a little afraid to knock. Then Wrenlou took a deep breath and knocked.

The door was opened by a girl. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the two strangers standing before her. Before they could say anything, a voice rang out from across the hall, and Marcus came through a door.

"Hiccup! Wrenlou! I was wondering when you would show up. Come on, let them in."

The girl stepped aside, letting them in. Marcus had changed from his armour, to a much more casual wear. He greeted them smiling, shaking their hands. Then he led them through a hallway towards a large garden.

They sat down next to a pool, the crystal clear water rippling softly in the gentle breeze, and the same girl as before brought them something to drink. They sat there, talking about different things, when a woman appeared. Marcus stood up, greeting her with a kiss and gently led her to the empty chair.

"This is my wife, Flavia. Darling, these are the boys I told you about, Hiccup and Wrenlou."

The woman smiled and extended a hand. Her handshake was firm, her hand warm. She was middle-aged, slightly older than Marcus, but her face still held the beauty of her younger years. Her features were soft, motherly, but etched with the many years she had seen. Her age also reflected in her hair, grey streaks swirling in with the brown. Her eyes were also brown, a warm, earthly colour and they shone bright with a certain sharpness.

After a while, they went inside, to a large dining room. Hiccup frowned when he saw the dining set-up. He had to get used to the fact that Roman's ate laying down on their side. Despite the obvious difficulties, they lay down on their left side so he couldn't use his dominant hand, the meal was great. After a few cups of wine Marcus opened up, talking loudly about the battles he had fought and the enemies he had slain. Hiccup would cringe at his descriptions of torn off limbs, remembering what it had been like all to well.

After the meal was done, they stayed up talking for hours. Flavia didn't say much, she would ask a question now and then, but it was mostly Marcus who was talking. It was completely dark outside, nearing midnight, when Marcus finally stood up.

"I will show you the guesthouse. It's a little late to start wandering about the city looking for shelter. Come on, this way."

Hiccup glanced at Wrenlou, the question in his eyes clearly visible.

"They'll be fine," Wrenlou muttered. "don't worry about them."

Hiccup nodded, but his mind was still on the dragons. He couldn't help but worry about them. Marcus led them to a separate part of the house. The room was a large, open space, two beds standing next to each other.

"The games start tomorrow morning, would you want to come?"

Hiccup nodded. "That's why we came really." Wrenlou said, also nodding.

"Good. I will send someone to wake you on time. Good night."

"Good night to you." They said at the same time, and Marcus left, closing the door. Hiccup turned to Wrenlou.

"They'll be worried. This wasn't planned, we were supposed to go back to them."

"Hiccup, we'll go see them tomorrow, after those games. I'm sure they'll be able to fend for themselves. Just one night alone won't hurt them, really."

"I'm still worried. What if they're discovered?"

"Then Toothless will hide and Snowflake will fly. Look, they're Night Furies, you don't have to worry about them."

"But I do." Hiccup sat down on one of the beds and started pulling his prosthetic off.

"And I understand that. I do too, but I'm just trying to say, they'll be fine."

"I know that. I just... I can't help but worry, you know? I mean, if something happens to them, we're stranded here."

Wrenlou sighed, crossing his arms. "Could you stop with all the negative thinking? We're in Rome, you're supposed to enjoy it, not see demons around every corner."

Hiccup chuckled at this and removed his prosthetic. He placed it on the ground, and set his boot next to it.

"Sorry. I'll try to ignore the demons."

"Thank you." Wrenlou said while he began removing the suit. Hiccup did the same and soon they were just wearing their tunics and pants.

"These games," Hiccup said, crossing his legs, placing his left on his right, "gladiators, right? Aren't that slaves?"

"Not necessarily. It started out with slaves, these days every one can become a gladiator."

"But they fight to the death, no matter what, right?"

"Yes," Wrenlou said with a sigh.

"That's a little barbaric," Hiccup said while laying down, his arms under his head.

"Cultural differences. I think they would call us crazy if they found out about our dragon riding habits."

"But we don't force people to fight each other to death just for entertainment."

"No one forces them Hiccup, they choose that life. Most of them. The others are criminals or prisoners of war. Don't make a fuss about it tomorrow, please. We don't need any trouble."

Hiccup sat up a little. "don't worry, I won't. I'll just be gagging in disgust."

"As long as you do it silently."

Hiccup chuckled at Wrenlou's words and stared up at the ceiling. In the dim light of the room he could see it was painted, but he couldn't quite make out the figures that were dancing above his head. Or maybe he was just that tired. He turned to his side, exhaling slowly. Before he knew it, he was asleep.


End file.
